If you know how to make a frittata you'll have mastered one of the world's most perfect foods. A simple dish is quick-cooking, cheap, and fantastic for using up leftovers. The Italian frittata, which loosely translates "fried", is equally delicious at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Learn the simple techniques and you'll never have a spongy, dry, and flavorless crustless omelet. Instead we'll go through the basic formula for the perfect frittata. And we'll also give you some scrumptious recipes and variations using potatoes, kale, shiitake mushrooms, and my parents favorite wild asparagus.
Why I love frittatas
One of my mamma and papà's favorite dishes was wild asparagus frittata. Every spring they'd head for the wooded hills surrounding or town in Italy and they'd hunt wild asparagus.
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They'd bring their find home and then mamma would make it the way my papà loved it the most - made into a frittata.
In Italy, they celebrate Father's Day on March 19 which is St. Joseph's Day. He's the patron saint of all fathers. Mamma's way of making something special for papà was to make his wild asparagus frittata. Once we moved to the U. S. she would purchase the asparagus and still make him his favorite dish.
Mamma worked in a cookie/cracker factory and sometimes there was little time for dinner preparation. Those were the days when she came up with the most creative frittatas.
Her formula for making them was always the same and the egg dish came out perfectly delicious every single time.
Ingredients
For this recipe you will need:
- Olive oil
- Asparagus
- Prosciutto
- Eggs
- Heavy Cream
- Pecorino Romano cheese
- Hot Sauce
- Salt
- Pepper
- Fresh Parsley
Learning how to make a perfect frittata is easy
Ingredients for a Perfect Frittata.
You really don't need frittata recipes to make this popular Italian dish. Six eggs will feed two people nicely, and twelve eggs will be ideal for four hungry mouths.
What equipment do I need?
- Heavy cast iron skillet or oven-proof non-stick skillet - 10-inch for 12 eggs, 8-inch for 6 eggs.
- Oven mitts for taking out the hot skillet
- Silicone (heat-proof) spatula
- Bowl for mixing eggs
- Whisk
- Cutting board and knife for chopping or cutting the ingredients for filling
What is the egg-dairy-cheese-vegetable/meat ratio?
- 12 eggs: ½ cup heavy cream, sour cream, crème fraîche: 1 cup cheese: 4 cups total vegetables and/or meat
- 6 eggs: ¼ cup heavy cream, sour cream, crème fraîche: ½ cup cheese: 2 cups total vegetables and/or meat.
Do I have to cook the vegetables?
You may easily use fully-cooked leftovers like last night's fried potatoes or some breakfast sausage. If you're starting from scratch, it's best that the additions are fully cooked or they add too much moisture to the eggs.
Sauté the aromatics, like onions, also. It's important to fully cook the additions such as vegetables, aromatics such as onions, and meats before adding the eggs. They additions won't cook much once you add the eggs.
How do I know when the frittata is done?
Making an Asparagus Frittata. Pour the eggs over asparagus and prosciutto. Mix with a rubber spatula. Scrape the bottom of skillet but don't break large curds. Smooth curds into even layer.[/caption]
A perfect frittata will have the texture of a custard - trembling and almost set. If you feel the need to have a golden top, then sprinkle some cheese over it in the last few minutes of baking or stick the almost baked frittata under the broiler for a few minutes.
Better to be safe than sorry! Check on the frittata several minutes before it's supposed to be done.
Transfer the asparagus frittata to skillet put in the oven for 6 to 9 minutes. When done let stand for 5 minutes.[/caption]
What is the difference between a frittata and an omelet?
Similarities
- Egg-based dish
- Started on stovetop
- popular brunch dish
Differences
- Omelets cook entirely on the stovetop. Frittatas finish in the oven.
- Frittata's fillings mix in with the eggs in the pan. Omelets' fillings are added across the center.
- Large frittatas can serve one or many. Omelets are typically made to serve one.
- Omelets are served hot while the Italian egg dish may be served hot or cold.
Four keys to the perfect frittata success
- Tender Eggs: the additions of cream and salt allows the eggs to cook to a high temperature without become spongey.
- Light interior: don't beat the eggs too much, overbeating will cause the dish to poof up in the oven then fall into a dense layer.
- Punched-up flavor: seasoning the fillings and eggs as you cook enhances its flavor.
- Evenly cooked texture: Stirring the eggs while they cook on the stovetop helps them cook evenly while finishing the eggs in the oven lets them finish cooking gently.
Frittata Recipes are easy and the variations are endless.
Ideas for Frittata Recipes
This dish is a lot like my mamma's Stracciatella Alla Romana. Quick, easy and takes little effort at all. If you want a fast meal it doesn't get much better than this. You can make it completely vegan or add the meats you love.
Vegetable Frittata Recipes Combinations:
- Kale, Red Pepper, and Goat Cheese
- Shiitake Mushroom with Pecorino Romano
- Crimini mushrooms, Leek, and Fontina
- Corn, Herbs, Pecorino-Romano
- Grape and Plum Tomatoes, Basil, and Goat Cheese
- Spinach, potatoes, and leeks
- Feta, green onions, asparagus
Meat Frittata Recipes Combination:
- Broccoli pancetta, parmesan cheese
- Creamy smoked salmon and dill
- Spinach, ham, gruyère
- Sausage, feta, kale
- Wild asparagus and smoked trout
- Smoked cheese and Canadian bacon
- Broccoli rabe and sausage, parmesan cheese
When you learn how to make a frittata you'll never go hungry.
A home cook's best friend
This crustless quiche is not only quick and easy, but also super nutritious. Eggs plus vegetables give you lots of protein plus vitamins.
And once you prep the ingredients, you only have one pan to clean up. How great is that?
So, if you're ever in a quandary about what to make for brunch, you're hungry and don't know what to prepare, remember THE FRITTATA!
If you're looking for some delicious light dishes
These soups are very light yet satisfying!
Tutti a tavola è pronto
Un caro saluto e alla prossima.
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A cast-iron skillet just like this is a work horse in the kitchen. We use ours all the time for just about everything. It can go from stove top to oven easily and it cooks without hot spots. If you already have one you know how handy it is.
How To Make A Frittata Perfectly Every Time
Have you ever come home, tired and hungry, and don't have a clue what to make to satisfy that gnawing in your tummy? Well, a frittata is exactly what you're looking for. Trust us! Check out the fridge and see if you have a few cooked veggies and even some meat. All it takes is dicing up the ingredients, beating the eggs with some milk, and you're on your way to total satisfaction. Try it and see if we're not right!
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📖 Recipe
HOW TO MAKE A FRITTATA PERFECTLY – ASPARAGUS PROSCIUTTO VARIATION
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ lb. asparagus (2 cups) cut in 2-inch pieces About 1 ½ cups ***see notes
- ½ cup prosciutto diced ** see notes
- 6 large eggs
- ½ cup Pecorino Romano
- ½ teaspoon chili paste
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon parsley chopped
- sea salt
- fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Clean and cut the asparagus into ½-inch pieces. For a cohesive frittata, make sure that no pieces are much larger than this. The frittata can also be served warm or at room temperature. When paired with a salad, it is excellent as a light meal.
- Adjust oven rack to a middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk eggs, cream, Pecorino Roman, and chili paste in bowl until combined. Don’t overbeat.
- Heat oil with minced garlic in 10-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet or heavy cast iron pan over medium-heat. As soon as the oil heats up add the asparagus a sprinkling of salt and freshly ground pepper then stir. *** see notes
- Add 2 tablespoons of water to the pan and cover with a lid. Let the asparagus cook about 3 minutes. Check to see how tender they are. If they are still tough and there is no water left, add another tablespoon of water. Cover. If the asparagus gets some nice caramelization to them — that’s good. You don’t want the garlic to burn.
- Remove the lid and add the meat (optional) if you don’t have meat just pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and cook, using a rubber spatula to stir and scrape bottom of skillet until large curds form and spatula leaves trail though eggs but eggs are still very wet, about 30 seconds.
- Smooth curds into even layer and cook, without stilling, for about 30 seconds. Transfer the skillet to oven and bake until frittata is slightly puffy and surface bounces back when light pressed, 6 to 9 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Using rubber spatula, loosen from skillet and transfer to cutting board. Slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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